Rat-trap.



Farmen July l5, 1902. P. DLAFFSEN.

BAT TRAP.

(Application mea am. 7, nos.;

2 sneetsl-sneet l.

(No Model.)

v witwassen n No. 704,910. Pafanfed my 15, 1962;

P. oLA'FFsEN.

RAT TRAP.

(Application led Har. 7, 1902.; (No Model.) .d "2-Sheets-Sheet 2.

me News PETERS co.. mmauran, wsnmmou. D, c.

f UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER, oLArFsEN, or lTAeoMA, WASHINGTON.

RAT-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent NG..704,910, dated ATilly 15, 1902. n

Application filed March '7, 1902. Serial No.9 7,101. (No modelJ T al?, wir/07% it may concern:

Beit/known that I, PETER OLAFFsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma,v in the county of Pierce and Strate 0,.Washing-1 ton, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rat-Traps, oi' which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesato traps for rats,mice, and other small animals or rodents; and the object of the same is to provide a sensitivelyoperating and effective trap which will insure the retention and destruction of the animal caught thereby and one wherein the parts are similar View of the trap in set condition.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the trap as shown by Fig.'2. Fig. 4is a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The trap comprises two essential elements, consisting of a body or main frame 1 and a trap lid or cover 2, movably secured to said body. The body or frame 1 comprises a base 2", with opposite sides 3, inclined downwardly at their upper edges toward the rear end of the trap, and between the rear ends of the sides 3 atransverse back strip 4 is firmly secured to the base 2. This back strip 4 has considerable width and thickness to render it strong and durable enough to resistthe strain brought to bear thereon. V The trap lid or cover 2 has its rear edge movably connected to the upper front portion of the strip 4 by hinges 5, and at the-.front edge said lidror cover is provided Ywith a transversely-extending reinforce-strip 6. The upper end of suitable'screw bolts or pins 7 project above the upper plane of the strip 4, and connected thereto by nuts and washers 8 are the rear ends of springs 9, which continuously bear upon the upper surface o; the trap lid or cover 2 and operate to hold the latter in a downwardly-inclined position, as shown by Figi. An upstanding bail 10 is rigidly sev`cured to the'frontendsot the sides and has a central eye 11, to which oneend oflea cord A freceiving pocket 17, adapted to be covered by appivoted yslide 1S, with an aperture 19 therethrough toeXpose the bait in the said pocket; The arm 16'is movably attached at its rear end by a cord, chain, or like device 20 to aneye 2l, secured in the center of the frontedge of the strip 4, and the front free end 'of said arm has a vertical stop projection 22, with a rear iiattened portion adapted to be engaged by either one of the flattened terminals 'of the trip-rod 14, as clearly shown by Figs. 2 and 3. When the trip-rod 14 is disposed in operati ve engagement with the baitholder, it is arranged vertically and has its upper end inserted in a socket 23 in the under side of the front portion of Ythe trap lid or cover 2, and the cord orlike device 12, attached to the rod, is disposed in a recess 24 in the center of the front edges of the trap lid or cover 2 and the reinforce-strip 6. When the trip-rod is placed in engagement with the bait-holding device, the latter is held elevated in view of the forward tension exerted thereon by the said trip-rod through the medium of the cord or other flexible device 12, the latter beingl of such length as to pull forwardly lor outwardly on the trip-rod. f To keep the bait-holding device in central position in re- IOO lid or cover 2 are similar sharpened spurs or impaling devices 28.

When the trap is set, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, an enlarged entrance-opening is produced in View of the interposition of the triprod 14, and from the said opening the open space Within the trap gradually decreases to- Ward the strip 4, owing to the upward inclination of the trap lid or cover 2. rIhis entices the animal to enter the trap with less trepidation and Apermits its body to be fully 1ocated therein, particularly in view of the position of the bait at the center of the baitholding device. As soon as the animal nibbles the bait in the pocket 17 and exposed through the opening 19 in the slide 18 the arm I6 is released from the trip-rod 14 and the springs 9 throw down the trap lid or cover 2, thus driving the spurs 27 and 28 into the body of the entrapped animal and irmly holding him against escape as well as insuring his destruction.

The improved trap may be made in different proportions or dimensions to suit animals of different sizes, and While the preferred form of the same has been shown and described it is obvious that changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without in the least departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a trap of the class set forth, the combination of a body with closed sides and rear end, the sides being highest at the front, a spring-actuated trap-cover movably attach ed at its rear end to a portion of the main body of Ithe trap, the bottom of the body and lower side of the cover having impaling-spurs probait-holding pocket with a slide, and a projection at its free end, a rigid bail rising from the body above the trap-cover, and a trip-rod flexibly suspended from the bail and adapted to engage the cover and bait-holding device.

3. In a trap of the class set forth, the combination of a body, a trap-cover movably attached thereto, a bait-holding device extending longitudinally through the central portion of the body above the bottom of the latter, a centering loop for maintaining the bait-holding device in proper position, and a iiexiblysuspended trip-rod' adapted to engage the bait-holding device and trap-cover.

4. A holding device for a trap consisting of an elongated arm flexibly connected at its rear end and having a central enlargement with a pocket therein, and a slide to close the pocket and having an opening therethrough.

5. In a trap of the cla'ss set forth, the combination of a body having a spring-actuated trap-cover attached thereto and adapted tol normally close downwardly thereover, a baitholding device, and a flexibly-suspended triprod for interposition between the front end of the bait-holding device and the lid or cover. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. PETER OLAFFSEN.

Witnesses:

H. P. HANSEN,

K. O. LIVEDALEN. 

